The Center for Mathematical Modeling, the CNRS's first international research laboratory, celebrates 25 years of excellence
Since its creation, the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM), based at the University of Chile in Santiago, has become one of Latin America's leading scientific centres and an international benchmark in applied mathematics. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the cooperation agreement between the University of Chile and the CNRS has been renewed, reaffirming the importance of cooperation between the two countries.
A historical actor in applied mathematics in Latin America
Created in 2000, the Center for Mathematical Modeling focuses on creating new mathematics and applying it to real-world problems in various scientific, industrial and societal fields. This was the first milestone in the CNRS's international presence, as at the time, the CNRS made the CMM its first ‘International Joint Unit1 outside France, across all disciplines.
The CMM's main areas of fundamental research include discrete mathematics, mathematical mechanics and inverse problems, non-linear analysis and partial differential equations, numerical analysis, optimisation and equilibrium, stochastic processes and ergodic theory. This research is geared towards strategic applications such as mining, health, climate and biodiversity, mathematical education, energy, natural resource management and large-scale data analysis.
Located in the heart of Chile, the CMM maintains close collaborations with several Chilean institutions, including the University of Concepción, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Federico Santa María University, O'Higgins University, Andrés Bello University, Catholic University of the Holy Conception and University of Bío-Bío. But its influence extends beyond the country's borders. The CMM has also established links with the most important mathematics centers in South America and around the world. At the international level, the CMM has established partnerships with institutions in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America, thereby strengthening its role as an international platform for mathematical modeling. With 25 years of experience, it has established itself as a key player in the world of mathematics.
Centro de Modelamiento Matemático (CMM): Ceremonia 25° Aniversario
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25 years of scientific cooperation dedicated to excellence and the future
On Tuesday, 15 April 2025, in the Hall of Honour of the main building of the University of Chile, the 25th anniversary of the Center for Mathematical Modeling was celebrated. According to Héctor Ramírez, professor at the University of Chile and director of the CMM since 2021, ‘the main ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of the CMM in April 2025 marked both a landmark and a defining moment in the history of the laboratory.’ The event was attended by Chilean government officials, including the President of the Republic of Chile, Gabriel Boric, representatives from the academic, scientific and private sectors, as well as a delegation from the CNRS and the French Ambassador to Chile, Cyrille Rogeau.
This celebration, which highlighted the importance of French-Chilean collaboration in mathematics, also aimed to recognise the center's achievements and contribution to the Chilean scientific ecosystem, and to highlight its leading role in international challenges. The historic scientific cooperation between the two countries was further strengthened during the ceremony with the extension of the International Research Laboratory (IRL) agreement between the CNRS and the University of Chile. For Antoine Petit, president of the CNRS, this agreement is of great importance. ‘We live in a digital world, and mathematics is absolutely essential; it is the key to artificial intelligence. We are therefore very proud to have been part of the CMM since its creation. Another very important feature of the CMM is its relationship with industry and with the real world, so to speak, because science must be at the service of society,’ he said at the ceremony.
The CMM, which aims to develop cutting-edge mathematical research while meeting the needs of society and industry, intends to continue to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Numerous ongoing and future projects illustrate the center's objectives:
- The development of models for the optimisation of mining processes;
- Studies on biodiversity and climate change in collaboration with international initiatives (CNRS-GoSee, Tara Foundation, NTT Japan, etc.);
- The implementation of educational programmes to improve mathematics teaching in Chile at all levels;
- Numerous projects where AI improves processes in Chilean public health;
- The study of territorial dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean using satellite images from the Copernicus programme;
- The strengthening of high-performance computing capabilities to support data science research;
- Mathematical and data science support for the development of Chilean astroinformatics.
Testimony of Erwan Lanneau, researcher at Institut Fourier
During my visit to the IRL in Santiago, Chile, I had the pleasure of participating in the 25th anniversary celebration of the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) at the University of Chile. This anniversary was an opportunity to highlight the close ties between Chile and France — ties that go far beyond scientific cooperation alone.
As the President of Chile, who was present at the event, rightly pointed out: ‘To develop initiatives of such excellence, intangible elements are needed that are difficult to build but unfortunately easy to destroy, such as trust, cooperation and collaboration around a common goal.’ This is a powerful message that resonates particularly strongly at a time when the preservation of these historical and human relationships is more essential than ever.
The celebration also took the form of an international conference, bringing together researchers, CMM guests and institutional partners (CNRS, Insmi and other IRLs from the Americas) to mark this major milestone in the center's history. The conferences, which were of a very high standard, highlighted research in fundamental and applied mathematics, carried out in particular by the younger generations — enthusiastic, committed and forward-looking! Their energy and motivation testify to the exceptional vitality of the CMM.
It was an inspiring celebration with a promising future. The success of the CMM is undeniable, and I wish it a long life, marked by the emergence of new ambitious research areas within this remarkable centre. Happy birthday, CMM!
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Notes
- These units have now become International Research Laboratories (IRL)